Amusement apparatus.



No. 835,638. PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

G. P. RITGHEL., AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.28. 1906.

W/TNESSES /NVENYR' l J7? a6/PEZ@ "Afro/wf UNITED STATESY PATENT oFFIoE.

l CHARLES F. RITCHEL, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

AIVIUSENI ENT APPARATUS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application led February 28, 1906. Serial No. 303,464.

ratus; and it consists of certain arrangements of parts and combinationof parts such as will be hereinafter fully set forth and thenparticularly pointed out in the claims, which conclude this application.

The object of my invention is to provide a series of traveling irregularreiiecting-surfaces, so that a person may Without moving view resultsthat are exceedingly grotesque and Weird, While at the same time thevarious reiiections as they follow in sequence shall blend together sothat there can be no abrupt break or imperfection to mar theeffectiveness of the result.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation which illustratesmy improvement in substantially the form presented to the eye of theobserver. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation, and Fig. 3 a detailbroken rear elevation of the upright which contains the contacts andresistance-coils.

Similar numbers of reference denote like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

Heretofore separate mirrors with irregular reflecting-surfaces have beenin common use at amusement resorts; but these mirrors are alwaysstationary and are separate and distinct from each other and there canbe no blending of results. Moreover, the effect produced by theseseparate mirrors is instantaneous and uniform, and a person is obligedto travel from one mirror to another or to walk to and fro in front of amirror in order to get the various results.

My improvement possesses advantages and capabilities that can hardly beenumerated or realized, since the refiecting-surfaces are diversified byvarious regular and irregular concaved, conveXed, inclined, and plainportions that are arranged and distributed with the end in view toproduce the most startling effects when following each other insequence, and these effects are still further enhanced and intensifiedby varying the speed at which the reflecting-surfaces traverse the viewof the observer.

For a clear understanding of my invention attention is called to thefollowing description, which, in connection with the drawings abovereferred to, relates to a preferred manner of carrying out my invention.

The reflecting-surfaces may be glass or highly-polished metal and arepreferably in the form of panels l, which are disposed in the shape of ahollow cylinder and are secured in this position in any suitable andwellknown manner. These panels have irregular reflecting-surfaces, thelatter being concave, convex, inclined, or plane, according to theresults desired.

2 3 are respectively upper and lower circular frames which are securedin any suitable manner, so as to be stationary and which inclose theupper and lower edges of said panels. The lower edges of these panelsmay be shod with an annular metal shoe 4, and steel-balls 5 may beinterposed between the frame 3 and the bottom of this shoe, so that thepanels intheir cylindrical disposition will be supported onball-bearings and will therefore be capable of ready revolution. If thisbe done, a well-drilled and skillful attendant stationed inside thecylinder may revolve the latter at the proper speeds, so as to producethe desired results.

IVhile I do not wish to be limited to any particular means for revolvingthe cylinder of panels or for varying the speed of such revolution,nevertheless I prefer to utilize some sort of motor and automaticdevices to accomplish these results. I can use an ordinary electricmotor, (schematically shown at 6,) inclosed by said cylinder and havinga pinion 7, carried by its shaft 8 in combination with avertically-disposed shaft 9, suitably journaled so as to revolve instationary bearings and carrying a gear-wheel 10, with which said pinionmeshes.

I secure beams 11 and braces l2 to the shaft 9 and extend them out inclose proximity to the inner circumference of the anelcylinder. I preferto equip the inner ace of this cylinder with a suitable backing 13, ofwood, plaster, or cement, so as to' form a .smooth plain surface, and ablock or plate 14, carried at the ends of said beams and braces, issecured by screws 15 to said cylinder, so that it will be clear that thelatter will move in synchronism with the shaft. Of course this cylindermay be connected to IOO IIO

the rotary element in many different ways, all of which are veryordinary and fall within the province of ordinary mechanical skill, andin this respect, therefore, my invention is not limited. Moreover, theball-bearings at the bottom of the cyinder may be omitted and thecylinder suspended from said beams and braces without departing from myinvention.

To vary the speed of this motor at predetermined times, I provide meansfor automatically increasing or decreasing the resist- `ance in theelectrical circuit, as follows:

16 is a face-cam secured on the shaft 9 concentric therewith, the groove17 in this cam being shaped and outlined irregularly for the Apurposepresently to be explained.

18 is a lever pivoted at 19 to a stationary block 20, the end of thelever nearest the pivot 19 having journaled therein a roll 21, whichtracks within the groove 17. The lever is made of any suitable materialand carries at the end of its long arm a small insulated contact-iinger22.

23 is a stationary upright, preferably made of wood or some othernon-conducting material, having projecting slightly beyond its face aseries of contacts 24, which latter are connected at the back of theupright by a series of resistance-coils 25. The finger 22 extendsathwart the face of the upright 23 and when moved along the latter willmake successive connections with the contacts 24.

The electric current enters the motor through the medium of the finger22 and the contacts 24 and binding-post 26 and passes out by means of awire connected with the binding-post 27.

The lowermost contact 24 is connected directly to the inlet-post 26, andtherefore it will be clear that when the Enger 22 is in touch with thiscontact the resistance will be minimum, and the speed of the motor andthe panel-cylinder will be at its maximum rate, and that such resistancewill increase as the finger is elevated into touch with succeedingcontacts 24, thus causing the motor to decrease its speed.

The contour and character of the groove 17 determines the extent and thevariation of the movement of the finger 22, and this groove is skilfullylaid out and constructed with the end in view to produce the moststartling and amusing effects in the refiectingsurfaces. For instance,the peculiarity of one reflector may be that as it initially traversesthe view of the observer the latter will appear without legs and arms,while as the reflector continues its travel both legs and arms willapparently grow gradually from the body of the observer until theyattain abnormal lengths; but these results could not be obtained withany degree of sensationalism and they would be robbed of their amusingand uncanny nature unless the S35-,ess

speed at which this reflector traveled was very slow, and accordingly inthis instance the relation between the groove 17 and this refie'ctor issuch that the finger 22 will be in touch with the uppermost contact 24.

Variable speeds'in motors and machines are brought about and regulatedin many ways, all of which are quite ordinary and are in common use, andwhile I have selected the electric motor and the appliances heretoforedescribed for accomplishing the desired results nevertheless, as Istated before, I do want my invention limited to the use of anyparticular means in this connection. The reflecting-panels need not bedisposed in the form of a cylinder, since they can just as well be inelliptical disposition, although I prefer the cylindrical arrangement,since the comparatively abrupt curves at the ends of the ellipse wouldnot be conducive to the best results. Also very good results may beobtained by causing all the reflecting-surfaces to travel at a uniformspeed, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to a variable speed.

Having thus described my invention in detail and pointed out the salientfeatures thereof, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. The herein-described amusement apparatus which consists of a rotaryseries of arcuately-arranged adjoined mirrors having irregularrefiecting-surfaces.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising a series of reiiectors havingirregular surfaces and arcuately dis osed, and means for imparting tosaid re ectors a line of travel coincident with their arcuatearrangement.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising a series of irregularreflecting-surfaces arcuately disposed in continuous circuit, and meansfor causing said surfaces to travel throughout theline of said circuit.

4. An amusement apparatus comprising a series of reflecting-panelshaving irregular reflecting-surfaces and adjoining at their side edges,and arranged in an endless arcuate circuit, and means for causing saidpanels to travel in a line coincident with said circuit.

5. In an amusement apparatus, the combination of an arcuate series ofvertically-disposed adj oined mirrors having diversifiedreflecting-surfaces, with means for causing said series to travel inaline coincident with its arcuate disposition.

6. An amusement a paratus, comprising an arcuate series of re ectorshaving irregular reecting-surfaces, and means for revolving said seriesat a variable speed and in the line of its arcuate arrangement.

7. An amusement apparatus comprising a series of irregularreflecting-surfaces arranged in the form of a cylinder, and means forrevolving said cylinder at variable speeds.

8. An amusement apparatus comprising a IOO series ofirregularly-surfaced reflectors in the series to travel at variablespeeds andin a shape of upright panels adjoining each other linecoincident With its arcuate disposition. 1o

and forming a cylinder, and means for revolv- In testimony whereof I aEXmy signature ing said cylinder at Variable speeds. in presence of tWoWitnesses.

9. In an amusement apparatus, the combi- CHARLES F. RITCHEL. nation ofan arcuate series of Vertically-dis- Witnesses: posed adj oined mirrorshaving diversified re- F. W. SMITH, Jr.,

iecting-surfaces, with means for causing said M. T. LONGDEN.

